On the Italian island of Capri, doctors have distributed some 20 “cardiotelephones” to pharmacists, shopkeepers and others who were trained to act as the first point of contact for emergencies far from the nearest doctor or hospital.

These remote heart monitoring devices measures electrical currents associated with heart muscle activity and transmit data to call centres, allowing for speedy diagnosis and action.

“This system could contribute to recognising an acute incident and shorten the length of time for help to arrive, a crucial element in the survival of the patient,” in remote areas, declared Massimo Chiariello, head of cardiology at Naples University.

Via Wired.